Prophet Muhammad (s) was born in
570 CE in Makkah (Bakka,
Baca, Mecca). His
father, Abdullah, died several weeks before his birth in Yathrib
(Medinah) where he went to visit his father's maternal
relatives. His mother died while on the return journey from
Medinah at a place called ‘Abwa’ when he was six years old. He
was raised by his paternal grandfather 'Abd al Muttalib (Shaybah)
until the age of eight, and after his grandfather’s death by Abu
Talib, his paternal uncle. 'Abd al Muttalib's mother, Salma, was
a native of Medinah and he was born and raised as a young boy in
Medinah before his uncle Muttalib brought him to Makkah to
succeed him. Many years before Muhammad's birth, 'Abd al
Muttalib had established himself as an influential leader of the
Arab tribe ‘Quraish’ in Makkah and took care of the Holy
sanctuary ‘Ka’bah’. Makkah was a city state well connected to
the caravan routes to Syria and Egypt in the north and northwest
and Yemen in the south. Muhammad was a descendant of Prophet
Ismail through the lineage of his second son Kedar.

Ka'bah is the first house of
worship built
on earth for the worship of Allah, the
One True God. It was re-built (raised from the existing foundation) by
Prophets Ibrahim (Abraham) and Ismail (Ishmael). Allah is the proper
name of the One True God, creator and sustainer of the universe, who
does not have a partner or associate, and He did not beget nor was He
begotten. Unlike the word god, the word Allah does not have a plural or
gender.

Under the guardianship of
Abu Talib, Muhammad (s) began to earn a living as a businessman and a
trader. At the age of twelve, he accompanied Abu Talib with a merchant
caravan as far as Bostra in Syria. Muhammad was popularly known as
‘al-Ameen’ for his unimpeachable character by the Makkans and visitors
alike. The title Al-Ameen means the Honest, the Reliable and the
Trustworthy, and it signified the highest standard of moral and public
life.

Upon hearing of
Muhammad’s impressive credentials, Khadijah, a rich merchant widow,
asked Muhammad (s) to take some merchandise for trade to Syria. Soon
after this trip when he was twenty-five, Khadijah proposed marriage to
Muhammad through a relative. Muhammad accepted the proposal. At that
time, Khadijah was twice widowed and forty years old. Khadijah (ra) and
Muhammad (s) were the parents of six children - four daughters and two
sons. His first son Qasim died at the age of two. He was nicknamed Abul
Qasim, meaning the father of Qasim. His second son Abdullah died in
infancy. Abdullah was also called affectionately as ‘Tayyab’ and ‘Tahir’
because he was born after Muhammad’s prophethood. The four daughters
were: Zainab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum, and Fatimah (ra).

The Holy sanctuary Ka’bah
was now filled with three hundred sixty idols. The original, pristine
message of Prophet Ibrahim was lost, and it was mixed with superstitions
and traditions of pilgrims and visitors from distant places, who were
used to idol worship and myths. In every generation, a small group of
men and women detested the pollution of Ka’bah and kept pure their
practice of the religion taught by Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail. They
used to spend some of their time away from this polluted environment in
retreats to nearby hills.

Muhammad (s) was forty when, during
his one of many retreats to Mount Hira for meditation during the month
of Ramadan, he received the first revelation from the Archangel Jibril
(Gabriel). On this first appearance, Gabriel (as) said to Muhammad: "Iqraa,"
meaning Read or Recite. Muhammad replied, "I
cannot read," as
he had not received any formal education and did not know how to read or
write. The Angel Gabriel then embraced him until he reached the limit of
his endurance and after releasing said: "Iqraa." Muhammad’s answer was
the same as before. Gabriel repeated the embrace for the third time,
asked him to repeat after him and said:

"Recite in
the name of your Lord who created! He created man from that which
clings. Recite; and thy Lord is most Bountiful, He who has taught by the
pen, taught man what he knew not."

These
revelations are the first five verses of Surah (chapter) 96 of the
Qur’an. Thus it was in the year 610 CE the revelation began.

Muhammad (s) was terrified by the
whole experience of the revelation and fled the cave of Mt. Hira [Qur'an
81:19-29]. When he reached his home, tired and frightened, he asked his
wife: ‘cover me, cover me,’ in a blanket. After his awe had somewhat
abated, his wife Khadijah asked him about the reason of his great
anxiety and fear. She then assured him by saying: "Allah (The One God)
will not let you down because you are kind to relatives, you speak only
the truth, you help the poor, the orphan and the needy, and you are an
honest man. Khadijah then consulted with her cousin Waraqa who was an
old, saintly man possessing knowledge of previous revelations and
scriptures. Waraqa confirmed to her that the visitor was none other than
the Angel Gabriel who had come to Moses. He then added that Muhammad is the expected Prophet.
Khadijah accepted the revelation as truth and was the first person to
accept Islam. She supported her husband in every hardship, most notably
during the three-year ‘boycott’ of the Prophet’s clan by the pagan
Quraish. She died at the age of sixty-five in the month of Ramadan soon
after the lifting of the boycott in 620 CE.

Gabriel
(as) visited the Prophet as commanded by Allah revealing Ayat (meaning
signs, loosely referred to as verses) in Arabic over a period of
twenty-three years. The revelations that he received were sometimes a
few verses, a part of a chapter or the whole chapter. Some revelations
came down in response to an inquiry by the nonbelievers. The revealed
verses were recorded on a variety of available materials (leather, palm
leaves, bark, shoulder bones of animals), memorized as soon as they were
revealed, and were recited in daily prayers by Muslims [Qur'an
80:13-16]. Angel Gabriel taught the order and arrangement of verses, and
the Prophet instructed his several scribes to record verses in that
order [Qur'an 75:16-19 and 41:41-42]. Once a year, the Prophet used to
recite all the verses revealed to him up to that time to Gabriel to
authenticate the accuracy of recitation and the order of verses [Qur'an
17:106]. All the revealed verses (over
a period of 23 years and ending
in 632 CE) were compiled in the book known as Qur’an. The name Qur’an
appears in the revealed verses. The Qur’an does not
contain even a word from the Prophet. The Qur'an speaks in the first
person, i.e., Allah's commandments to His creation. Gabriel also visited
the Prophet throughout his mission informing and teaching him of events
and strategy as needed to help in the completion of the prophetic
mission. The Prophet’s sayings, actions, and approvals are recorded
separately in collections known as Hadith.

The mission of Prophet Muhammad (s)
was to restore the worship of the One True God, the creator and
sustainer of the universe, as taught by Prophet Ibrahim and all Prophets of God,
and to demonstrate and complete the laws of moral, ethical, legal, and
social conduct and all other matters of significance for the humanity at
large.

The first few people who
followed this message were: his cousin Ali, his servant Zayd ibn
Harithah, his friend Abu Bakr and his wife and daughters. They accepted
Islam by testifying that:

"There is
no Deity (worthy of worship) except Allah (The One True God) and
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."

Islam
means peace by submission and obedience to the Will and Commandments of
God and those who accept Islam are called Muslims, meaning those who
have accepted the message of peace by submission to God.

In the first three years of his
mission forty people (men and women) accepted Islam. This small group
comprised of youth as well as older people from a wide range of economic
and social background. The Prophet was directed by a recent revelation
to start preaching Islam to everyone. He then began to recite
revelations to people in public and invite them to Islam. The Quraish,
leaders of Makkah, took his preaching with hostility. The most hostile
and closest to the prophet was his uncle Abu Lahab and his wife.
Initially, they and other leaders of Quraish tried to bribe him with
money and power including an offer to make him king
if he were to abandon his message. When this did not work, they tried to
convince his uncle Abu Talib to accept the best young man of Makkah in
place of Muhammad and to allow them to kill Muhammad. His uncle tried to
persuade the Prophet to stop preaching but the Prophet said: "O uncle,
if they were to put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left
hand to stop me from preaching Islam, I would never stop. I will keep
preaching until Allah makes Islam prevail or I die."

The Quraish began to persecute Muslims
by beating, torture and boycott of their businesses. Those who were
weak, poor or slaves were publicly tortured. The first person to die by
this means was a Muslim women by the name Umm Ammar (the mother of Ammar
Ibn Yasir). The Muslims from well-to-do families were physically
restrained in their homes with the condition that if they recant they
will be allowed freedom of movement. The Prophet was publicly ridiculed
and humiliated including frequent throwing of filth on him in the street
and while he prayed in the Ka’bah. In spite of great hardships and no
apparent support, the message of Islam kept all Muslims firm in their
belief. The Prophet was asked by God to be patient and to preach the
message of Qur’an. He advised Muslims to remain patient because he did
not receive any revelation yet to retaliate against their persecutors. [Persecution]

When the persecution became unbearable
for most Muslims, the Prophet advised them in the fifth year of his
mission (615 CE) to emigrate to Abyssinia (modern Ethiopia) where
Ashabah (Negus, a Christian) was the ruler. Eighty people, not counting
the small children, emigrated in small groups to avoid detection. No
sooner had they left the Arabian coastline, the leaders of Quraish
discovered their flight. They decided to not leave these Muslims in
peace, and immediately sent two of their envoys to Negus to bring all of
them back. However, Negus allowed them to stay under his protection
after he investigated Muslim belief
and heard the revelations about Jesus and Mary
(peace be upon them both), which appears in Chapter 19, entitled Mary,
of the Qur’an. The emigrants were allowed freedom of worship in
Abyssinia.

The Quraish then made
life even more difficult for the Prophet by implementing total ban on
contact with the Prophet’s family (Bani Hashim and Muttalib). The ban
lasted for three years without the desired effect. Just before the ban
was lifted, the Prophet was contacted by the leaders of Quraish to agree
to a compromise under which they should all practice both religions
(i.e., Islam and Idolatry). Upon hearing this, the Prophet recited a
revelation (Chapter 109) he had just received and which ends with the
words: "... For you your religion and for me mine." The ban was lifted
when leaders of Quraish discovered that their secret document on the
terms of ban, which they had stored in Ka’bah, was eaten by worms and
all that was left were the opening words ‘In Your name, O Allah.’ The
effects of the three-year boycott left the Prophet with more personal
sorrow when he lost his beloved wife Khadijah (ra) and uncle Abu Talib
soon after the ban was lifted.

After Khadijah's death
in 620 CE, the Prophet married a widowed Muslim woman, Sawdah (ra) who
was fifty years old. She and her husband had emigrated to Abyssinia in
the early years of persecution. After her husband died, she came back to
Makkah and sought Prophet’s shelter. The Prophet, recognizing her
sacrifices for Islam, extended his shelter by marrying her. Later in the
same year, the Prophet upon receiving the divine command in a dream,
after approval of Sawdah, contracted marriage to A’ishah, the daughter
of his dear companion Abu Bakr. She
joined the Prophet in Medinah, completing the marriage contract. Sawdah
and A’ishah (ra) were the only wives until he was fifty-six years old.

After the death of his uncle Abu Talib,
the Prophet went to Taif (about 50 miles east, southeast of Makkah) to
seek their protection. They flatly refused and mocked at him, and
severely injured him by inciting their children to throw stones at him.
Gabriel (as) visited the Prophet here suggesting that the angels were
ready to destroy the town if he were to ask Allah for the punishment.
Nevertheless, the Prophet declined and
prayed for future generations of Taif to accept Islam [Taif].
It was on the return journey from Taif that the verses from Surah Al
Jinn (Chapter 72) were revealed. It indicated that the Qur’an is a book
of guidance to both the Jinns and Humankind.

Soon after the terrible disappointment
at Ta’if, the prophet experienced the events of al-Israa and al-Miraaj
(621 CE). In the Al-Israa, Gabriel (as) took the Prophet from the sacred
Mosque near Ka’bah to the furthest (al-Aqsa)
mosque in Jerusalem in a very short time in the latter part of a night.
Here, Prophet Muhammad met with previous Prophets (Abraham, Moses, Jesus
and others) and he led them in prayer. After this, in Al-Miraj, the
Prophet was taken up to heavens to show the signs of God [More... The Dome of the Rock].
It was on this journey that five daily prayers were prescribed. He was
then taken back to Ka’bah, the whole experience lasting a few hours of a
night. Upon hearing this, the people of Makkah mocked at him. However,
when his specific description of Jerusalem, other things on the way, and
the caravan that he saw on this journey including its expected arrival
in Makkah turned out to be true, the ridicule of the nonbelievers
stopped. The event of Israa and Miraaj is mentioned in the Qur’an - the
first verse of Chapter 17 entitled ‘The Children of Israel.’

In 622 CE, the leaders of the Quraish
decided to kill the Prophet and they developed a plan in which one man
was chosen from each of the Quraish tribes and they were to attack the
Prophet simultaneously. Gabriel informed the Prophet of the plan and
instructed him to leave Makkah immediately. The Prophet, after making
arrangements to return the properties entrusted to him by several
nonbelievers, left with Abu Bakr in the night he was to be assassinated.
They went south of Makkah to a mountain cave of Thawr [see Qur'an 9:40],
and after staying three nights they traveled north to Yathrib (Medinah)
about two hundred fifty miles from Makkah. Upon discovery of his escape,
the leaders of Quraish put up a reward of one hundred camels on him,
dead or alive. In spite of all their best scouts and search parties,
Allah protected the Prophet and he arrived safely in Quba, a
suburb of Medinah [Qur'an 28:85]. This event is known as the ‘Hijra’
(migration) and the Islamic calendar begins with this event. The people
of Aws and Khazraj in Medinah greeted him with great enthusiasm in
accordance with their pledge made at Aqaba
less than a year ago during the annual pilgrimage. One by one those
Muslims (men and women) of Makkah who were not physically restrained,
and who could make a secret exit, left for Medinah leaving behind their
properties and homes.

To insure the peace and tranquility, the
Prophet proposed a treaty
defining terms of conduct for all inhabitants of Medinah. It was
ratified by all - Muslims, non-Muslim Arabs and Jews. After his
emigration to Medinah, the enemies of Islam increased their assault from
all sides. The Battles of Badr, Uhud and Allies (Trench) were fought
near or around Medinah. In these battles until the year 627 CE, the
nonbelievers with encouragement from Jews and other Arabian tribes
attacked the Prophet and Muslim community. The Muslims while defending
their city and religion lost many men, which resulted in many widowed
Muslim women and numerous orphaned children. In these circumstances,
Prophet Muhammad (s) married several women during fifty-sixth year up to
the sixtieth year of his life. He did not contract any marriage in the
last three years of his life, following the revelation limiting the
number of wives up to a maximum of four. This is the first time in the
history of revealed scriptures that a limit on the number of wives was
imposed and the terms of conduct were specified. The Prophet was
instructed not to divorce any of his wives after this revelation [Qur'an
33:52]. All of the ladies he took as wives were either widowed or
divorced, except A’ishah.

The Prophet married Umm Salamah (ra) in
626 CE. Her husband had died of wounds inflicted in the Battle of Uhud
(625 CE). When the Prophet asked her for marriage, she replied: "O
Messenger of God, I suffer from three shortcomings. I am a very jealous
woman, and I am afraid this might cause me to do things that you
dislike. Secondly, I am an old woman. Finally, I have many children."
The Prophet answered: "Regarding your jealousy, I pray to God to remove
it from you. As for your age, we are similar in age. As for the
children, your children are mine." Thus it was that she agreed to marry
the Prophet. The Prophet’s marriage contract with Umm Habibah
(ra) was solemnized, by proxy, by Negus, King of Abyssinia, in 628 CE.

Two of his
wives, Juwayriah and Safiyah, were prisoners of war. Both belonged to
the family of the chief of their tribes and were set free by the
Prophet; they then gladly accepted Islam and were pleased to become the
Prophet’s wives. The Prophet’s marriages provided security to women who
would have otherwise remained unmarried, unprotected, or felt
humiliated. His marriages were also a means of transmitting important
teachings of Islam. The Prophet's wives, called the "Mothers of the
Believers,"[Qur'an Surah 33, Verse 6 and the last part of Verse 53]
showed themselves as examples of proper Muslim womanhood. All his wives,
especially 'Aishah, transmitted many ahadith (sayings, deeds, and
actions) from Prophet Muhammad (s).

A year after the Battle of Allies
(Trench), the Prophet and fifteen hundred of his companions left for
Makkah to perform the annual pilgrimage (628 CE). They were barred from
approaching the city at Hudaybiyah, where after some negotiations a treaty was
signed allowing for them to come next year. This treaty facilitated
exchange of ideas among the people of the whole region without
interference. Many delegations from all regions of Arabia came to the
Prophet to investigate the teachings of Islam, and a large number of
people accepted Islam within a couple of years. The Prophet sent many of
his companions (who memorized the Qur'an by heart) to new communities to
instruct them about the practice of Islam. More than fifty of them were
murdered by non-believers.

About two years later at
the end of 629 CE, the Quraish violated the terms of the Treaty of
Hudaybiyah by helping Banu Bakr in the surprise attack on Bani Khuza’ah
who were allied with the Prophet. Some of Bani Khuzah’s men escaped and
took shelter in Makkah and they sought redress. However, the leaders of
Quraish did nothing. They then sent a message to the Prophet for help.

The Prophet, after confirming all the
reports of the attack and subsequent events, marched to Makkah with an
army consisting of three thousand Muslims of Medinah and Muslims from
other Arab communities that joined him on the way totaling ten thousand Muslims.
Before entering the city he sent word to citizens of Makkah that anyone
who remained in his home, or in Abu Sufyan’s home, or in the Ka’bah
would be safe. The army entered Makkah without fighting and the Prophet
went directly to the Ka’bah. He magnified Allah for the triumphant entry
in the Holy city. The Prophet pointed at each idol with a stick he had
in his hand and said, "Truth has come and Falsehood will neither start
nor will it reappear" [Qur'an 17:81]. And one by one the idols fell
down. The Ka’bah was then cleansed by the removal of all three hundred
sixty idols, and it was restored to its pristine status for the worship
of One True God (as built by Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail).

The people of the city
expected general slaughter in view of their persecution and torture of
Muslims for the past twenty years. While standing by the Ka'bah, the
Prophet (s) promised clemency for the Makkans, stating: "O Quraish, what
do you think that I am about to do with you?" They replied, "Good. You
are a noble brother, son of a noble brother." The Prophet forgave them
all saying:

"I will
treat you as Prophet Yousuf (Joseph) treated his brothers. There is no
reproach against you. Go to your homes, and you are all free."

The
Prophet also declared:

Allah made Makkah holy the
day He created heavens and earth, and it is the holy of holies until the
Resurrection Day. It is not lawful for anyone who believes in Allah and
the last day to shed blood therein, nor to cut down trees therein. It
was not lawful to anyone before me and it will not be lawful to anyone
after me.

The people of Makkah then accepted Islam
including the staunch enemies of the Prophet. A few of the staunchest
enemies and military commanders had fled Makkah after his entry.
However, when they received the Prophet’s assurance of no retaliation
and no compulsion in religion, they came back and gradually the message
of Islam won their hearts. Within a year (630 CE), almost all Arabia
accepted Islam. Among the Prophet’s close companions were Muslims from
such diverse background as Persia,
Abyssinia, Syria and Rome. Several prominent Jewish Rabbis, Christian
bishop and clergymen accepted Islam after discussions with the Prophet.

One night in March 630 CE, Angel
Gabriel visited the Prophet and addressed him as: "O father of Ibrahim."
A few hours later, the Prophet received the news of the birth of his son
from his wife Mariah, and
the Prophet named him Ibrahim. He was the only child born after the six
children from Prophet’s first wife Khadijah. Ibrahim died when he was
ten months old. On the day of Ibrahim's death, there was an eclipse of
the sun. When some people began to attribute it to the Prophet's
bereavement, he said: "The sun and the moon are two signs of the signs
of God. Their light is not dimmed for any man's death. If you see them
eclipsed, you should pray until they be clear."

The great change in
Arabia alarmed the two superpowers, Byzantines and Persians. Their
Governors, particularly the Byzantines, reacted with threats to attack
Medinah. Instead of waiting, the prophet sent a small army to defend the
northmost border of Arabia. In the remaining life of the Prophet, all of
the major battles were fought on the northern front. The Prophet did not
have a standing army. Whenever he received a threat, he called the
Muslims and discussed with them the situation and gathered volunteers to
fight any aggression.

The Prophet performed his first and
last pilgrimage in 632 CE.
One hundred twenty-thousand men and women performed pilgrimage that year
with him. The Prophet received the last revelation during this
pilgrimage. Two months later, Prophet Muhammad (s) fell ill and after
several days died on Monday, 12
Rabi al-Awwal, the eleventh year after Hijra (June 8, 632 CE) in Medinah.
He is buried in the same place where he died.

Prophet Muhammad lived a most simple,
austere and modest life. He and his family used to go without cooked
meal several days at a time, relying only on dates, dried bread and
water. During the day he was the busiest man, as he performed his duties
in many roles all at once as head of state, chief justice,
commander-in-chief, arbitrator, instructor and family man. He was the
most devoted man at night. He used to spend one- to two-thirds of every
night in prayer and meditation. The Prophet's possession consisted of
mats, blankets, jugs and other simple things even when he was the
virtual ruler of Arabia. He left nothing to be inherited except a white
mule (a gift from Muqawqis),
few ammunition and a piece of land that he had made a gift during his
life time. Among his last words were: "We the community of Prophets are
not inherited. Whatever we leave is for charity."

Muhammad (s)
was a man and a messenger of Allah (The One God). He is the last of the
prophets [Qur'an 33:40] sent by Allah to guide man to the right path;
Adam was the first Prophet. The Qur’an mentions twenty-five Prophets by name
and provides a great insight of their mission, struggle and their
communities. The Qur’an exonerates prophets from charges leveled against
them in previous Scriptures. The Qur’an also mentions four previously
revealed Scriptures: Suhoof (Pages) of Ibrahim (Abraham), Taurat
('Torah') as revealed to Prophet Moses, Zuboor ('Psalms') as revealed to
Prophet David, and Injeel ('Evangel') as revealed to Prophet Jesus (pbuh).
Islam requires belief in all prophets and revealed scriptures (original,
non-corrupted) as part of the Articles of Faith. Muhammad (s) is greatly
respected as the model of Qur’anic behavior. Muslims mention his name by
adding "peace be upon him," a phrase used with the name of all prophets
[e.g., Qur'an Surah 37: verses 79, 109, 120 and 130; also 33:56]. All
sincere Muslims try to follow the Qur’an and the Prophet’s example to
minute details. The account of every aspect of his life has been
preserved (numerous daily accounts including his family life). Prophet
Muhammad (s) has served as an example for all Muslims in all periods to
modern times. He will remain a model example for all of humanity.

At the end
of his mission, the Prophet was blessed with several hundred thousand
followers (men and women) of Islam. Thousands prayed with him at the
mosque and listened to his sermon. Hundreds of sincere Muslims would
find every opportunity to be with him following five daily prayers and
at other times. They used to seek his advice for their everyday
problems, and listened attentively to the interpretation and application
of revealed verses to their situation. They followed the message of the
Qur’an and the Messenger of Allah with utmost sincerity, and supported
him with every thing they had. The most excellent among them are Abu
Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, Ali, Talha, Zubair, 'Abdur Rahman ibn Auf, S'ad
bin Abi Waqqas, S'ad bin Zaid, Abu 'Ubeidah, Hasan, Hussain, and several
dozen others. They faithfully carried the message of Islam after the
Prophet, and within ninety years the light of Islam reached Spain, North
Africa, the Caucasus, northwest China and India.

Allah:
Allah is the proper name in Arabic for The One and Only God, The Creator
and Sustainer of the universe. It is used by the Arab Christians and
Jews for the God (Eloh-im in Hebrew; 'Allaha' in Aramaic, the mother
tongue of Jesus, pbuh). The word Allah does not have a plural
or gender. Allah does not have any associate or partner, and He does not
beget nor was He begotten. SWT is an abbreviation of Arabic words that
mean 'Glory Be To Him.'
s or pbuh: Peace Be Upon Him. This
expression is used for all Prophets of Allah.
ra: Radiallahu Anha (May Allah be pleased with her).
ra: Radiallahu Anhu (May Allah be pleased with him).

2- Story
of Prophet Mohammed

The
Prophet’s
Birth

The Ka`bah today

Muhammad,
son
of
Abdullah,
son
of
Abdul
Muttalib,
of
the
tribe
of
Quraysh,
was
born
in
Makkah
fifty-three
years
before
the
Hijrah.
His
father
died
before
he
was
born,
and
he
was
protected
first
by
his
grandfather,
Abdul
Muttalib,
and
after
his
grandfather’s
death,
by
his
uncle
Abu
Talib.

As a
young
boy
he
traveled
with
his
uncle
in
the
merchants’
caravan
to
Syria,
and
some
years
afterwards
made
the
same
journey
in
the
service
of a
wealthy
widow
named
Khadijah.
So
faithfully
did
he
transact
the
widow’s
business,
and
so
excellent
was
the
report
of
his
behavior,
which
she
received
from
her
old
servant
who
had
accompanied
him,
that
she
soon
afterwards
married
her
young
agent;
and
the
marriage
proved
a
very
happy
one,
though
she
was
fifteen
years
older
than
he
was.
Throughout
the
twenty-six
years
of
their
life
together
he
remained
devoted
to
her;
and
after
her
death,
when
he
took
other
wives
he
always
mentioned
her
with
the
greatest
love
and
reverence.
This
marriage
gave
him
rank
among
the
notables
of
Makkah,
while
his
conduct
earned
for
him
the
surname
Al-Amin,
the
“trustworthy.”

The
Hunafa

The
Makkans
claimed
descent
from
Abraham
through
Isma`il
and
tradition
stated
that
their
temple,
the
Ka`bah,
had
been
built
by
Abraham
for
the
worship
of
the
One
God.
It
was
still
called
the
House
of
Allah,
but
the
chief
objects
of
worship
here
were
a
number
of
idols,
which
were
called
“daughters”
of
Allah
and
intercessors.
The
few
who
felt
disgust
at
this
idolatry,
which
had
prevailed
for
centuries,
longed
for
the
religion
of
Abraham
and
tried
to
find
out
what
had
been
its
teaching.
Such
seekers
of
the
truth
were
known
as
Hunafa
(sing.
Hanif),
a
word
originally
meaning
“those
who
turn
away”
(from
the
existing
idol-worship),
but
coming
in
the
end
to
have
the
sense
of
“upright”
or
“by
nature
upright,”
because
such
persons
held
the
way
of
truth
to
be
right
conduct.
These
Hunafa
did
not
form
a
community.
They
were
the
non-conformists
of
their
day,
each
seeking
truth
by
the
light
of
his
inner
consciousness.
Muhammad
son
of
Abdullah
became
one
of
these.

The
First
Revelation

It
was
his
practice
to
retire
often
to a
cave
in
the
desert
for
meditation.
His
place
of
retreat
was
Hira’,
a
cave
in a
mountain
called
the
Mountain
of
Light
not
far
from
Makkah,
and
his
chosen
month
was
Ramadan,
the
month
of
heat.
It
was
there
one
night
toward
the
end
of
his
quiet
month
that
the
first
revelation
came
to
him
when
he
was
forty
years
old.

He
heard
a
voice
say:
“Read!”
He
said:
“I
cannot
read.”
The
voice
again
said:
“Read!”
He
said:
“I
cannot
read.”
A
third
time
the
voice,
more
terrible,
commanded:
“Read!”
He
said:
“What
can
I
read?”
The
voice
said:

“Read:
In
the
name
of
thy
Lord
Who
createth.
“Createth
man
from
a
clot.
“Read:
And
it
is
thy
Lord
the
Most
Bountiful
“Who
teacheth
by
the
pen,
“Teacheth
man
that
which
he
knew
not.”

The
Vision
of
Cave
Hira’

The cave Hira’ in the Mountain of Light (Jabal Al-Nur)

He
went
out
of
the
cave
on
to
the
hillside
and
heard
the
same
awe-inspiring
voice
say:
“O
Muhammad!
Thou
art
Allah’s
messenger,
and
I am
Jibril
(Gabriel).”
Then
he
raised
his
eyes
and
saw
the
angel,
in
the
likeness
of a
man,
standing
in
the
sky
above
the
horizon.
And
again
the
dreadful
voice
said:
“O
Muhammad!
Thou
art
Allah’s
messenger,
and
I am
Jibril
(Gabriel).”
Muhammad
(peace
and
blessings
be
upon
him)
stood
quite
still,
turning
away
his
face
from
the
brightness
of
the
vision,
but
wherever
he
turned
his
face,
there
stood
the
angel
confronting
him.
He
remained
thus
a
long
while
till
at
length
the
angel
vanished,
when
he
returned
in
great
distress
of
mind
to
his
wife
Khadijah.
She
did
her
best
to
reassure
him,
saying
that
his
conduct
had
been
such
that
Allah
would
not
let
a
harmful
spirit
come
to
him
and
that
it
was
her
hope
that
he
was
to
become
the
Prophet
of
his
people.
On
their
return
to
Makkah
she
took
him
to
her
cousin
Waraqa
ibn
Nawfal,
a
very
old
man,
“who
knew
the
Scriptures
of
the
Jews
and
Christians,”
who
declared
his
belief
that
the
heavenly
messenger
who
came
to
Moses
of
old
had
come
to
Muhammad,
and
that
he
was
chosen
as
the
Prophet
of
his
people.

Muhammad eventually accepted the tremendous task imposed on him, becoming filled with enthusiasm of obedience

His
Distress
To
understand
the
reason
of
the
Prophet’s
diffidence
and
his
extreme
distress
of
mind
after
the
vision
of
Hira’,
it
must
be
remembered
that
the
Hunafa,
of
whom
he
had
been
one,
sought
true
religion
in
the
natural
world
and
regarded
with
distrust
the
intercourse
with
spirits
of
which
men
“avid
of
the
Unseen”
sorcerers
and
soothsayers
and
even
poets,
boasted
in
those
days.
Moreover,
he
was
a
man
of
humble
and
devout
intelligence,
a
lover
of
quiet
and
solitude
and
the
very
thought
of
being
chosen
out
of
all
mankind
to
face
mankind,
alone,
with
such
a
message,
appalled
him
at
the
first.

Recognition
of
the
Divine
nature
of
the
call
he
had
received
involved
a
change
in
his
whole
mental
outlook
sufficiently
disturbing
to a
sensitive
and
honest
mind,
and
also
the
forsaking
of
his
quiet,
honored
way
of
life.
The
early
biographers
tell
how
his
wife
Khadijah
“tested
the
spirit”
which
came
to
him
and
proved
it
to
be
good,
and
how,
with
the
continuance
of
the
revelations
and
the
conviction
that
they
brought,
he
at
length
accepted
the
tremendous
task
imposed
on
him,
becoming
filled
with
enthusiasm
of
obedience
which
justifies
his
proudest
title
of
“the
Slave
of
Allah.”

First
Converts

For
the
first
three
years,
or
rather
less,
of
his
mission,
the
Prophet
preached
to
his
family
and
his
intimate
friends,
while
the
people
of
Makkah
as a
whole
regarded
him
as
one
who
had
become
a
little
mad.
The
first
of
all
his
converts
was
his
wife
Khadijah,
the
second
his
first
cousin
Ali,
whom
he
had
adopted,
the
third
his
servant
Zayd,
a
former
slave.
His
old
friend
Abu
Bakr
also
was
among
those
early
converts.

Beginning
of
Persecution

At
the
end
of
the
third
year
the
Prophet
received
the
command
to
“arise
and
warn,”
whereupon
he
began
to
preach
in
public,
pointing
out
the
wretched
folly
of
idolatry
in
face
of
the
tremendous
laws
of
day
and
night,
of
life
and
death,
of
growth
and
decay,
which
manifest
the
power
of
Allah
and
attest
His
sovereignty.
It
was
then,
when
he
began
to
speak
against
their
gods,
that
Quraysh
became
actively
hostile,
persecuting
his
poorer
disciples,
mocking
and
insulting
him.
The
one
consideration
which
prevented
them
from
killing
him
was
fear
of
the
blood-vengeance
of
the
clan
to
which
his
family
belonged.
Strong
in
his
inspiration,
the
Prophet
went
on
warning,
pleading,
threatening,
while
Quraysh
did
all
they
could
to
ridicule
his
teaching,
and
deject
his
followers.

The
Flight
to
Abyssinia

A 16th century map of Abyssinia – modern day Ethiopia

The
converts
of
the
first
four
years
were
mostly
humble
folk
unable
to
defend
themselves
against
oppression.
So
cruel
was
the
persecution
they
endured
that
the
Prophet
advised
all
who
could
possibly
contrive
to
do
so
to
immigrate
to a
Christian
country,
Abyssinia
.
And
still
in
spite
of
persecution
and
emigration
the
little
company
of
Muslims
grew
in
number.
Quraysh
were
seriously
alarmed.
The
idol
worship
at
the
Ka`bah,
the
holy
place
to
which
all
Arabia
made
pilgrimage,
ranked
for
them,
as
guardians
of
the
Ka`bah,
as
first
among
their
vested
interests.
At
the
season
of
the
pilgrimage
they
posted
men
on
all
the
roads
to
warn
the
tribes
against
the
“madman”
who
was
preaching
in
their
midst.
They
tried
to
bring
the
Prophet
to a
compromise
offering
to
accept
his
religion
if
he
would
so
modify
it
as
to
make
room
for
their
gods
as
intercessors
with
Allah,
offering
to
make
him
their
king
if
he
would
give
up
attacking
idolatry;
and,
when
their
efforts
at
negotiation
failed,
they
went
to
his
uncle
Abu
Talib
offering
to
give
him
the
best
of
their
young
men
in
place
of
Muhammad,
to
give
him
all
that
he
desired,
if
only
he
would
let
them
kill
Muhammad
and
have
done
with
him.
Abu
Talib
refused.

Conversion
of
Omar

The
exasperation
of
the
idolaters
was
increased
by
the
conversion
of
Omar,
one
of
their
stalwarts.
They
grew
more
and
more
embittered,
till
things
came
to
such
a
pass
that
they
decided
to
ostracize
the
Prophet’s
whole
clan,
idolaters
who
protected
him
as
well
as
Muslims
who
believed
in
him.
Their
chief
men
caused
a
document
to
be
drawn
up
to
the
effect
that
none
of
them
or
those
belonging
to
them
would
hold
any
intercourse
with
that
clan
or
sell
to
them
or
buy
from
them.
This
they
all
signed,
and
it
was
deposited
in
the
Ka`bah.
Then
for
three
years,
the
Prophet
was
shut
up
with
all
his
kinsfolk
in
their
stronghold
which
was
situated
in
one
of
the
gorges
which
run
down
to
Makkah.
Only
at
the
time
of
pilgrimage
could
he
go
out
and
preach,
or
did
any
of
his
kinsfolk
dare
to
go
into
the
city.

Destruction
of
the
Document

At
length
some
kinder
hearts
among
Quraysh
grew
weary
of
the
boycott
of
old
friends
and
neighbors.
They
managed
to
have
the
document
which
had
been
placed
in
the
Ka`bah
brought
out
for
reconsideration;
when
it
was
found
that
all
the
writing
had
been
destroyed
by
white
ants,
except
the
words
Bismik
Allahumma
(“In
thy
name,
O
Allah”).
When
the
elders
saw
that
marvel
the
ban
was
removed,
and
the
Prophet
was
again
free
to
go
about
the
city.
But
meanwhile
the
opposition
to
his
preaching
had
grown
rigid.
He
had
little
success
among
the
Makkans,
and
an
attempt
which
he
made
to
preach
in
the
city
of
Ta’if
was
a
failure.
His
mission
was
a
failure,
judged
by
worldly
standards,
when,
at
the
season
of
the
yearly
pilgrimage
he
came
upon
a
little
group
of
men
who
heard
him
gladly.

The
Men
from
Yathrib

They
came
from
Yathrib,
a
city
more
than
two
hundred
miles
away,
which
has
since
become
world-famous
as
al-Madinah,
“the
City”
par
excellence.
At
Yathrib
there
were
Jewish
tribes
with
learned
rabbis,
who
had
often
spoken
to
the
pagans
of a
Prophet
soon
to
come
among
the
Arabs,
with
whom,
when
he
came,
the
Jews
would
destroy
the
pagans
as
the
tribes
of
‘Aad
and
Thamud
had
been
destroyed
of
old
for
their
idolatry.
When
the
men
from
Yathrib
saw
Muhammad
they
recognized
him
as
the
Prophet
whom
the
Jewish
rabbis
had
described
to
them.
On
their
return
to
Yathrib
they
told
what
they
had
seen
and
heard,
with
the
result
that
the
next
season
of
pilgrimage
a
deputation
came
from
Yathrib
purposely
to
meet
the
Prophet.

Quraysh dreaded what the Prophet might become if he escaped from them and so plotted to kill him

First
Pact
of
al-‘Aqabah

These
swore
allegiance
to
him
in
the
first
pact
of
al-‘Aqabah.
They
then
returned
to
Yathrib
with
a
Muslim
teacher
in
their,
company
and
soon
“there
was
not
a
house
in
Yathrib
wherein
there
was
not
mention
of
the
messenger
of
Allah.”

Second
pact
of
al-‘Aqabah

In
the
following
year,
at
the
time
of
pilgrimage,
seventy-three
Muslims
from
Yathrib
came
to
Makkah
to
vow
allegiance
to
the
Prophet
and
invite
him
to
their
city.
At
al-‘Aqabah,
by
night,
they
swore
to
defend
him
as
they
would
defend
their
own
wives
and
children.
It
was
then
that
the
Hijrah,
the
flight
to
Yathrib,
was
decided.

Plot
to
Murder
the
Prophet

Soon
the
Muslims
who
were
in a
position
to
do
so,
began
to
sell
their
property
and
to
leave
Makkah
unobtrusively.
Quraysh
had
wind
of
what
was
going
on.
They
hated
Muhammad
in
their
midst,
but
dreaded
what
he
might
become
if
he
escaped
from
them.
It
would
be
better,
they
considered,
to
destroy
him
now.
The
death
of
Abu
Talib
had
removed
his
chief
protector;
but
still
they
had
to
reckon
with
the
vengeance
of
his
clan
upon
the
clan
of
the
murderer.
They
cast
lot
and
chose
a
slayer
out
of
every
clan.
All
these
were
to
attack
the
Prophet
simultaneously
and
strike
together,
as
one
man.
Thus
his
murder
would
be
blamed
on
all
Quraysh.
It
was
at
this
time
(Ibn
Khaldun
asserts,
and
it
is
the
only
satisfactory
explanation
of
what
happened
afterwards)
that
the
Prophet
received
the
first
revelation
ordering
him
to
make
war
upon
his
persecutors
“until
persecution
is
no
more
and
religion
is
for
Allah
only.”

The
Hijrah
(
June
20th,
622
C.E.)

The
last
of
the
able
Muslims
to
remain
in
Makkah
were
Abu
Bakr,
Ali
and
the
Prophet
himself.
Abu
Bakr,
a
man
of
wealth,
had
bought
two
riding
camels
and
retained
a
guide
in
readiness
for
the
flight.
The
Prophet
only
waited
for
God’s
command.
It
came
at
last.
It
was
the
night
appointed
for
his
murder.
The
slayers
were
before
his
house.
He
gave
his
cloak
to
Ali,
bidding
him
lie
down
on
the
bed
so
that
anyone
looking
in
might
think
Muhammad
lay
there.
The
slayers
were
to
strike
him
as
he
came
out
of
the
house,
whether
in
the
night
or
early
morning.
He
knew
they
would
not
injure
Ali.
Then
he
left
the
house
and,
it
is
said,
blindness
fell
upon
the
would-be
murderers
so
that
he
put
dust
on
their
heads
as
he
passed
by-without
their
knowing
it.

The Hijrah counts as the beginning of the Muslim era

He
went
to
Abu
Bakr’s
house
and
called
to
him,
and
they
two
went
together
to a
cavern
in
the
desert
hill
and
hid
there
till
the
hue
and
cry
was
past,
Abu
Bakr’s
son
and
daughter
and
his
herdsman
bringing
them
food
and
tidings
after
nightfall.
Once
a
search
party
came
quite
near
them
in
their
hiding-place,
and
Abu
Bakr
was
afraid;
but
the
Prophet
said:
“Fear
not!
Allah
is
with
us.”
Then,
when
the
coast
was
clear,
Abu
Bakr
had
the
riding-camels
and
the
guide
brought
to
the
cave
one
night,
and
they
set
out
on
the
long
ride
to
Yathrib.

After
traveling
for
many
days
of
unfrequented
paths,
the
fugitives
reached
a
suburb
of
Yathrib,
whither,
for
weeks
past,
the
people
of
the
city
had
been
going
every
morning,
watching
for
the
Prophet
till
the
heat
drove
them
to
shelter.
The
travelers
arrived
in
the
heat
of
the
day,
after
the
watchers
had
retired.
It
was
a
Jew
who
called
out
to
the
Muslims
in
derisive
tones
that
he
whom
they
expected
had
at
last
arrived.

Such
was
the
Hijrah,
the
Flight
from
Makkah
to
Yathrib,
which
counts
as
the
beginning
of
the
Muslim
era.
The
thirteen
years
of
humiliation,
of
persecution,
of
seeming
failure,
of
prophecy
still
unfulfilled,
were
over.

The
Life
of
Prophet
Muhammad

PART
II

In
Al-Madinah

By Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall

The
Jews
and
Hypocrites

The first Qiblah was the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem

In
the
first
year
of
his
reign
at
Yathrib
the
Prophet
made
a
solemn
treaty
with
the
Jewish
tribes,
which
secured
to
them
equal
rights
of
citizenship
and
full
religious
liberty
in
return
for
their
support
of
the
new
state.
But
their
idea
of a
Prophet
was
one
who
would
give
them
dominion,
not
one
who
made
the
Jews
who
followed
him
brothers
of
every
Arab
who
might
happen
to
believe
as
they
did.
When
they
found
that
they
could
not
use
the
Prophet
for
their
own
ends,
they
tried
to
shake
his
faith
in
his
Mission
and
to
seduce
his
followers,
behavior
in
which
they
were
encouraged
secretly
by
some
professing
Muslims
who
considered
they
had
reason
to
resent
the
Prophet’s
coming,
since
it
robbed
them
of
their
local
influence.
In
the
Madinah’s
surahs
there
is
frequent
mention
of
these
Jews
and
Hypocrites.

The
Qiblah

Till
then
the
Qiblah
(the
place
toward
which
the
Muslims
turn
their
face
in
prayer)
had
been
Jerusalem
.
The
Jews
imagined
that
the
choice
implied
a
leaning
toward
Judaism
and
that
the
Prophet
stood
in
need
of
their
instruction.
He
received
command
to
change
the
Qiblah
from
Jerusalem
to
the
Ka‘bah
at
Makkah.
The
whole
first
part
of
juz’
2,
part
of
Surah
II,
relates
to
this
Jewish
controversy.

The
First
Expeditions

The
Prophet’s
first
concern
as
ruler
was
to
establish
public
worship
and
lay
down
the
constitution
of
the
State:
but
he
did
not
forget
that
Quraysh
had
sworn
to
make
an
end
of
his
religion,
nor
that
he
had
received
command
to
fight
against
them
till
they
ceased
from
persecution.
After
he
had
been
twelve
months
in
Yathrib
several
small
expeditions
went
out,
led
either
by
the
Prophet
himself
or
some
other
of
the
fugitives
from
Makkah
for
the
purpose
of
reconnoitering
and
of
dissuading
other
tribes
from
siding
with
Quraysh.
These
are
generally
represented
as
warlike
but,
considering
their
weakness
and
the
fact
that
they
did
not
result
in
fighting;
they
can
hardly
have
been
that,
though
it
is
certain
that
they
went
out
ready
to
resist
attack.
It
is
noteworthy
that
in
those
expeditions
only
fugitives
from
Makkah
were
employed,
never
natives
of
Yathrib;
the
reason
being
(if
we
accept
Ibn
Khaldun’s
theory,
and
there
is
no
other
explanation)
that
the
command
to
wage
war
had
been
revealed
to
the
Prophet
at
Makkah
after
the
Yathrib
men
had
sworn
their
oath
of
allegiance
at
al-‘Aqabah,
and
in
their
absence.
Their
oath
foresaw
fighting
in
mere
defense
not
fighting
in
the
field.
Blood
was
shed
and
booty
taken
in
only
one
of
those
early
expeditions,
and
then
it
was
against
the
Prophet’s
orders.

One
purpose
of
those
expeditions
may
have
been
to
accustom
the
Makkah
Muslims
to
going
out
in
war
like
trim.
For
thirteen
years
they
had
been
strict
pacifists,
and
it
is
clear,
from
several
passages
of
the
Qur’an,
that
many
of
them,
including,
it
may
be,
the
Prophet
himself,
hated
the
idea
of
fighting
even
in
self-defense
and
had
to
be
inured
to
it.

The site of the campaign of Badr. The enclosed square is the opening of the well.

The
Campaign
of
Badr

In
the
second
year
of
the
Hijrah
the
Makkahn
merchants’
caravan
was
returning
from
Syria
as
usual
by a
road
which
passed
not
far
from
Yathrib.
As
its
leader
Abu
Sufyan
approached
the
territory
of
Yathrib
he
heard
of
the
Prophet’s
design
to
capture
the
caravan.
At
once
he
sent
a
camel-rider
on
to
Makkah,
who
arrived
in a
worn-out
state
and
shouted
frantically
from
the
valley
to
Quraysh
to
hasten
to
the
rescue
unless
they
wished
to
lose
both
wealth
and
honor.
A
force
a
thousand
strong
was
soon
on
its
way
to
Yathrib:
less,
it
would
seem,
with
the
hope
of
saving
the
caravan
than
with
the
idea
of
punishing
the
raiders,
since
the
Prophet
might
have
taken
the
caravan
before
the
relief
force
started
from
Makkah.

Did
the
Prophet
ever
intend
to
raid
the
caravan?
In
Ibn
Hisham,
in
the
account
of
the
Tabuk
expedition,
it
is
stated
that
the
Prophet
on
that
one
occasion
did
not
hide
his
real
objective.
The
caravan
was
the
pretext
in
the
campaign
of
Badr;
the
real
objective
was
the
Makkan
army.

He
had
received
command
to
fight
his
persecutors,
and
promise
of
victory,
he
was
prepared
to
venture
against
any
odds,
as
was
well
seen
at
Badr.
But
the
Muslims,
ill-equipped
for
war,
would
have
despaired
if
they
had
known
from
the
first
that
they
were
to
face
a
well-armed
force
three
times
their
number.

The victory of Badr gave the Prophet new prestige among the Arab tribes

The
army
of
Quraysh
had
advanced
more
than
half-way
to
Yathrib
before
the
Prophet
set
out.
All
three
parties
–
the
army
of
Quraysh,
the
Muslim
army
and
the
caravan
–
were
heading
for
the
water
of
Badr.
Abu
Sufyan,
the
leader
of
the
caravan,
heard
from
one
of
his
scouts
that
the
Muslims
were
near
the
water,
and
turned
back
to
the
coast-plain.
And
the
Muslims
met
the
army
of
Quraysh
by
the
water
of
Badr.

Before
the
battle
the
Prophet
was
prepared
still
further
to
increase
the
odds
against
him.
He
gave
leave
to
all
the
Ansar
(natives
of
Yathrib)
to
return
to
their
homes
unreproached,
since
their
oath
did
not
include
the
duty
of
fighting
in
the
field;
but
the
Ansar
were
only
hurt
by
the
suggestion
that
they
could
possibly
desert
him
at a
time
of
danger.
The
battle
went
at
first
against
the
Muslims,
but
ended
in a
signal
victory
for
them.

The
victory
of
Badr
gave
the
Prophet
new
prestige
among
the
Arab
tribes;
but
thenceforth
there
was
the
feud
of
blood
between
Quraysh
and
the
Islamic
State
in
addition
to
the
old
religious
hatred.
Those
passages
of
the
Qur’an
which
refer
to
the
battle
of
Badr
give
warning
of
much
greater
struggles
yet
to
come.

In
fact
in
the
following
year,
an
army
of
three
thousand
came
from
Makkah
to
destroy
Yathrib.
The
Prophet’s
first
idea
was
merely
to
defend
the
city,
a
plan
of
which
Abdullah
ibn
Ubeyy,
the
leader
of
“the
Hypocrites”
(or
lukewarm
Muslims),
strongly
approved.
But
the
men
who
had
fought
at
Badr
and
believed
that
God
would
help
them
against
any
odds
thought
it a
shame
that
they
should
linger
behind
walls.

The
Battle
on
Mt.
Uhud

The peak of Mt. Uhud

The
Prophet,
approving
of
their
faith
and
zeal,
gave
way
to
them,
and
set
out
with
an
army
of
one
thousand
men
toward
Mt.
Uhud
,
where
the
enemy
were
encamped.
Abdullah
ibn
Ubeyy
was
much
offended
by
the
change
of
plan.
He
thought
it
unlikely
that
the
Prophet
really
meant
to
give
battle
in
conditions
so
adverse
to
the
Muslims,
and
was
unwilling
to
take
part
in a
mere
demonstration
designed
to
flatter
the
fanatical
extremists.
So
he
withdrew
with
his
men,
a
fourth
or
the
army.

Despite
the
heavy
odds,
the
battle
on
Mt.
Uhud
would
have
been
an
even
greater
victory
than
that
at
Badr
for
the
Muslims
but
for
the
disobedience
of a
band
of
fifty
archers
whom
the
Prophet
set
to
guard
a
pass
against
the
enemy
cavalry.
Seeing
their
comrades
victorious,
these
men
left
their
post,
fearing
to
lose
their
share
of
the
spoils.
The
cavalry
of
Quraysh
rode
through
the
gap
and
fell
on
the
exultant
Muslims.

The
Prophet
himself
was
wounded
and
the
cry
arose
that
he
was
slain,
till
someone
recognized
him
and
shouted
that
he
was
still
living.
a
shout
to
which
the
Muslims
rallied.
Gathering
round
the
Prophet,
they
retreated,
leaving
many
dead
on
the
hillside.

On
the
following
day
the
Prophet
again
sallied
forth
with
what
remained
of
the
army,
that
Quraysh
might
hear
that
he
was
in
the
field
and
so
might
perhaps
be
deterred
from
attacking
the
city.
The
stratagem
succeeded,
thanks
to
the
behavior
of a
friendly
Bedouin,
who
met
the
Muslims
and
conversed
with
them
and
afterwards
met
the
army
of
Quraysh.
Questioned
by
Abu
Sufyan,
he
said
that
Muhammad
was
in
the
field,
stronger
than
ever,
and
thirsting
for
revenge
for
yesterday’s
affair.
On
that
information,
Abu
Sufyan
decided
to
return
to
Makkah.

Massacre
of
Muslims

The
reverse
which
they
had
suffered
on
Mt.
Uhud
lowered
the
prestige
of
the
Muslims
with
the
Arab
tribes
and
also
with
the
Jews
of
Yathrib.
Tribes
which
had
inclined
toward
the
Muslims
now
inclined
toward
Quraysh.
The
Prophet’s
followers
were
attacked
and
murdered
when
they
went
abroad
in
little
companies.
Khubayb,
one
of
his
envoys,
was
captured
by a
desert
tribe
and
sold
to
Quraysh,
who
tortured
him
to
death
in
Makkah
publicly.

Expulsion
of
Bani
Nadhir

And
the
Jews,
despite
their
treaty,
now
hardly
concealed
their
hostility.
They
even
went
so
far
in
flattery
of
Quraysh
as
to
declare
the
religion
of
the
pagan
Arabs
superior
to
Islam.
The
Prophet
was
obliged
to
take
punitive
action
against
some
of
them.
The
tribe
of
Bani
Nadhir
were
besieged
in
their
strong
towers,
subdued
and
forced
to
emigrate.
The
Hypocrites
had
sympathized
with
the
Jews
and
secretly
egged
them
on.

The
War
of
the
Trench

The trench the Muslims dug was the first of its kind in Arab warfare

In
the
fifth
year
of
the
Hijrah
the
idolaters
made
a
great
effort
to
destroy
Islam
in
the
War
of
the
Clans
or
War
of
the
Trench,
as
it
is
variously
called;
when
Quraysh
with
all
their
clans
and
the
great
desert
tribe
of
Ghatafan
with
all
their
clans,
an
army
of
ten
thousand
men
rode
against
Al-Madinah
(Yathrib).
The
Prophet
(by
the
advice
of
Salman
the
Persian,
it
is
said)
caused
a
deep
trench
to
be
dug
before
the
city,
and
himself
led
the
work
of
digging
it.

The
army
of
the
clans
was
stopped
by
the
trench,
a
novelty
in
Arab
warfare.
It
seemed
impassable
for
cavalry,
which
formed
their
strength.
They
camped
in
sight
of
it
and
daily
showered
their
arrows
on
its
defenders.
While
the
Muslims
were
awaiting
the
assault,
news
came
that
Bani
Qurayzah,
a
Jewish
tribe
of
Yathrib
which
had
till
then
been
loyal,
had
gone
over
to
the
enemy.
The
case
seemed
desperate.
But
the
delay
caused
by
the
trench
had
damped
the
ardor
of
the
clans,
and
one
who
was
secretly
a
Muslim
managed
to
sow
distrust
between
Quraysh
and
their
Jewish
allies,
so
that
both
hesitated
to
act.
Then
came
a
bitter
wind
from
the
sea,
which
blew
for
three
days
and
nights
so
terribly
that
not
a
tent
could
be
kept
standing,
not
a
fire
lighted,
not
a
pot
boiled.
The
tribesmen
were
in
utter
misery.
At
length,
one
night
the
leader
of
Quraysh
decided
that
the
torment
could
be
borne
no
longer
and
gave
the
order
to
retire.
When
Ghatafan
awoke
next
morning
they
found
Quraysh
had
gone
and
they
too
took
up
their
baggage
and
retreated.

Punishment
of
Bani
Qurayzah

On
the
day
of
the
return
from
the
trench
the
Prophet
ordered
war
on
the
treacherous
Bani
Qurayzah,
who,
conscious
of
their
guilt,
had
already
taken
to
their
towers
of
refuge.
After
a
siege
of
nearly
a
month
they
had
to
surrender
unconditionally.
They
only
begged
that
they
might
be
judged
by a
member
of
the
Arab
tribe
of
which
they
were
adherents.
The
Prophet
granted
their
request.
But
the
judge,
upon
whose
favor
they
had
counted,
condemned
their
fighting
men
to
death,
their
women
and
children
to
slavery.

Early
in
the
sixth
year
of
the
Hijrah
the
Prophet
led
a
campaign
against
the
Bani
al-Mustaliq,
a
tribe
who
were
preparing
to
attack
the
Muslims.

Al-Hudaybiyah

In
the
same
year
the
Prophet
had
a
vision
in
which
he
found
himself
entering
the
holy
place
at
Makkah
unopposed,
therefore
he
determined
to
attempt
the
pilgrimage.
Besides
a
number
of
Muslims
from
Yathrib
(which
we
shall
henceforth
call
Al-Madinah)
he
called
upon
the
friendly
Arabs,
whose
numbers
had
increased
since
the
miraculous
(as
it
was
considered)
discomfiture
of
the
clans
to
accompany
him,
but
most
of
them
did
not
respond.
Attired
as
pilgrims,
and
taking
with
them
the
customary
offerings,
a
company
of
fourteen
hundred
men
journeyed
to
Makkah.
As
they
drew
near
the
holy
valley
they
were
met
by a
friend
from
the
city,
who
warned
the
Prophet
that
Quraysh
had
put
on
their
leopards-skins
(the
badge
of
valor)
and
had
sworn
to
prevent
his
entering
the
sanctuary;
their
cavalry
was
on
the
road
before
him.
On
that,
the
Prophet
ordered
a
detour
through
mountain
gorges
and
the
Muslims
were
tired
out
when
they
came
down
at
last
into
the
valley
of
Makkah
and
encamped
at a
spot
called
Al-Hudaybiyah;
from
thence
he
tried
to
open
negotiations
with
Quraysh,
to
explain
that
he
came
only
as a
pilgrim.

“Never have I seen a man honored as Muhammad is honored by his comrades.”

The
first
messenger
he
sent
towards
the
city
was
maltreated
and
his
camel
hamstrung.
He
returned
without
delivering
his
message.
Quraysh
on
their
side
sent
an
envoy
which
was
threatening
in
tone,
and
very
arrogant.
Another
of
their
envoys
was
too
familiar
and
had
to
be
reminded:
sternly
of
the
respect
due
to
the
Prophet.
It
was
he
who,
on
his
return
to
the
city,
said:
“I
have
seen
Caesar
and
Chosroes
in
their
pomp,
but
never
have
I
seen
a
man
honored
as
Muhammad
is
honored
by
his
comrades.”

The
Prophet
sought
some
messenger
who
would
impose
respect.
Othman
was
finally
chosen
because
of
his
kinship
with
the
powerful
Umayyad
family.
While
the
Muslims
were
awaiting
his
return
the
news
came
that
he
had
been
murdered.
It
was
then
that
the
Prophet,
sitting
under
a
tree
in
Al-Hudaybiyah,
took
an
oath
from
all
his
comrades
that
they
would
stand
or
fall
together.
After
a
while,
however,
it
became
known
that
Othman
had
not
been
murdered.
A
troop
which
came
out
from
the
city
to
molest
the
Muslims
in
their
camp
was
captured
before
they
could
do
any
hurt
and
brought
before
the
Prophet,
who
forgave
them
on
their
promise
to
renounce
hostility.

Truce
of
Al-Hudaybiyah

The Surah entitled “Victory” or “An-Nasr” was revealed during the return journey from Al-Hudaybiyah

Then
proper
envoys
came
from
Quraysh.
After
some
negotiation,
the
truce
of
Al-Hudaybiyah
was
signed.
For
ten
years
there
were
to
be
no
hostilities
between
the
parties.
The
Prophet
was
to
return
to
Al-Madinah
without
visiting
the
Ka‘bah,
but
in
the
following
year
he
might
perform
the
pilgrimage
with
his
comrades,
Quraysh
promising
to
evacuate
Makkah
for
three
days
to
allow
of
his
doing
so.
Deserters
from
Quraysh
to
the
Muslims
during
the
period
of
the
truce
were
to
be
returned;
not
so
deserters
from
the
Muslims
to
Quraysh.
Any
tribe
or
clan
who
wished
to
share
in,
the
treaty
as
allies
of
the
Prophet
might
do
so,
and
any
tribe
or
clan
who
wished
to
share
in
the
treaty
as
allies
of
Quraysh
might
do
so.

There
was
dismay
among
the
Muslims
at
these
terms.
They
asked
one
another:
“Where
is
the
victory
that
we
were
promised?”
It
was
during
the
return
journey
from
Al-Hudaybiyah
that
the
Surah
entitled
“Victory”
was
revealed.
This
truce
proved,
in
fact,
to
be
the
greatest
victory
that
the
Muslims
had
till
then
achieved.
War
had
been
a
barrier
between
them
and
the
idolaters,
but
now
both
parties
met
and
talked
together,
and
the
new
religion
spread
more
rapidly.
In
the
two
years
which
elapsed
between
the
signing
of
the
truce
and
the
fall
of
Makkah
the
number
of
converts
was
greater
than
the
total
number
of
all
previous
converts.
The
Prophet
traveled
to
Al-Hudaybiyah
with
1400
men.
Two
years
later,
when
the
Makkans
broke
the
truce,
he
marched
against
them
with
an
army
of
10,000.

The
Campaign
of
Khaybar

One of the forts of Khaybar, which is over 100 kms outside Madina

In
the
seventh
year
or
the
Hijrah
the
Prophet
led
a
campaign
against
Khaybar,
the
stronghold
of
the
Jewish
tribes
in
North
Arabia
,
which
had
become
a
hornets’
nest
of
his
enemies.
The
forts
of
Khaybar
were
reduced
one
by
one,
and
the
Jews
of
Khaybar
became
thenceforth
tenants
of
the
Muslims
until
the
expulsion
of
the
Jews
from
Arabia
in
the
‘Caliphate
of
Omar.’
On
the
day
when
the
last
fort
surrendered
Ja`far
son
of
Abu
Talib,
the
Prophet’s
first
cousin,
arrived
with
all
who
remained
of
the
Muslims
who
had
fled
to
Abyssinia
to
escape
from
persecution
in
the
early
days.
They
had
been
absent
from
Arabia
fifteen
years.
It
was
at
Khaybar
that
a
Jewess
prepared
for
the
Prophet
poisoned
meat,
of
which
he
only
tasted
a
morsel
without
swallowing
it,
and
then
warned
his
comrades
that
it
was
poisoned.
One
Muslim,
who
had
already
swallowed
a
mouthful,
died
immediately,
and
the
Prophet
himself,
from
the
mere
taste
of
it,
derived
the
illness
which
eventually
caused
his
death.
The
woman
who
had
cooked
the
meat
was
brought
before
him.
When
she
said
that
she
had
done
it
on
account
of
the
humiliation
of
her
people,
he
forgave
her.

Pilgrimage
to
Makkah

In
the
same
year
the
Prophet’s
vision
was
fulfilled:
he
visited
the
holy
place
at
Makkah
unopposed.
In
accordance
with
the
terms
of
the
truce
the
idolaters
evacuated
the
city,
and
from
the
surrounding
heights
watched
the
procedure
of
the
Muslims.
At
the
end
of
the
stipulated
three
days
the
chiefs
of
Quraysh
sent
to
remind
the
Prophet
that
the
time
was
up.
He
then
withdrew,
and
the
idolaters
reoccupied
the
city.

Mu’tah
Expedition

In
the
eighth
year
of
the
Hijrah,
hearing
that
the
Byzantine
emperor
was
gathering
a
force
in
Syria
for
the
destruction
of
Islam,
the
Prophet
sent
three
thousand
men
to
Syria
under
the
command
of
his
freedman
Zayd.
The
campaign
was
unsuccessful
except
that
it
impressed
the
Syrians
with
a
notion
of
the
reckless
valor
of
the
Muslims.
The
three
thousand
did
not
hesitate
to
join
battle
with
a
hundred
thousand.
When
all
the
three
leaders
appointed
by
the
Prophet
had
been
killed,
the
survivors
obeyed
Khalid
ibn
al-Walid,
who,
by
his
strategy
and
courage,
managed
to
preserve
a
remnant
and
return
with
them
to
Al-Madinah.

Truce
Broken
by
Quraysh

In
the
same
year
Quraysh
broke
the
truce
by
attacking
a
tribe
that
was
in
alliance
with
the
Prophet
and
massacring
them
even
in
the
sanctuary
at
Makkah.
Afterwards
they
were
afraid
because
of
what
they
had
done.
They
sent
Abu
Sufyan
to
Al-Madinah
to
ask
for
the
existing
treaty
to
be
renewed
and,
its
term
prolonged.
They
hoped
that
he
would
arrive
before
the
tidings
of
the
massacre.
But
a
messenger
from
the
injured
tribe
had
been
before
him,
and
his
embassy
was
fruitless.

Conquest
of
Makkah

Then
the
Prophet
summoned
all
the
Muslims
capable
of
bearing
arms
and
marched
to
Makkah.
Quraysh
were
overawed.
Their
cavalry
put
up a
show
of
defence
before
the
town,
but
were
routed
without
bloodshed;
and
the
Prophet
entered
his
native
city
as
conqueror.
The
inhabitants
expected
vengeance
for
their
past
misdeeds.
The
Prophet
proclaimed
a
general
amnesty.
Only
a
few
known
criminals
were
proscribed,
and
most
of
those
were
in
the
end
forgiven.
In
their
relief
and
surprise,
the
whole
population
of
Makkah
hastened
to
swear
allegiance.
The
Prophet
caused
all
the
idols
which
were
in
the
sanctuary
to
be
destroyed,
saying:
“Truth
hath
come;
darkness
hath
vanished
away;”
and
the
Muslim
call
to
prayer
was
heard
in
Makkah.

Battle
of
Hunayn

In
the
same
year
there
was
an
angry
gathering
of
pagan
tribes
eager
to
regain
the
Ka‘bah.
The
Prophet
led
twelve
thousand
men
against
them.
At
Hunayn,
in a
deep
ravine,
his
troops
were
ambushed
by
the
enemy
and
almost
put
to
flight.
It
was
with
difficulty
that
they
were
rallied
to
the
Prophet
and
his
bodyguard
of
faithful
comrades
who
alone
stood
firm.
But
the
victory,
when
it
came,
was
complete
and
the
booty
enormous,
for
many
of
the
hostile
tribes
had
brought
out
with
them
everything
that
they
possessed.

Conquest
of
Ta’if

The “Declaration of Immunity” marks the end of idol-worship in Arabia

The
tribe
of
Thaqif
was
among
the
enemy
at
Hunayn.
After
that
victory
their
city
of
Ta’if
was
besieged
by
the
Muslims,
and
finally
reduced.
Then
the
Prophet
appointed
a
governor
of
Makkah,
and
himself
returned
to
Al-Madinah
to
the
boundless
joy
of
the
Ansar,
who
had
feared
lest,
now
that
he
had
regained
his
native
city,
he
might
forsake
them
and
make
Makkah
the
capital.

The
Tabuk
Expedition

In
the
ninth
year
of
the
Hijrah,
hearing
that
an
army
was
again
being
mustered
in
Syria
,
the
Prophet
called
on
all
the
Muslims
to
support
him
in a
great
campaign.
The
far
distance,
the
hot
season,
the
fact
that
it
was
harvest
time
and
the
prestige
of
the
enemy
caused
many
to
excuse
themselves
and
many
more
to
stay
behind
without
excuse.
Those
defaulters
are
denounced
in
the
Qur’an.
But
the
campaign
ended
peacefully.
The
army
advanced
to
Tabuk,
on
the
confines
of
Syria
,
and
there
learnt
that
the
enemy
had
not
yet
gathered.

Declaration
of
Immunity

Although
Makkah
had
been
conquered
and
its
people
were
now
Muslims,
the
official
order
of
the
pilgrimage
had
not
been
changed;
the
pagan
Arabs
performing
it
in
their
manner,
and
the
Muslims
in
their
manner.
It
was
only
after
the
pilgrims’
caravan
had
left
Al-Madinah
in
the
ninth
year
of
the
Hijrah,
when
Islam
was
dominant
in
North
Arabia
,
that
the
Declaration
of
Immunity,
as
it
is
called,
was
revealed.
The
Prophet
sent
a
copy
of
it
by
messenger
to
Abu
Bakr,
leader
of
the
pilgrimage,
with
the
instruction
that
Ali
was
to
read
it
to
the
multitudes
at
Makkah.
Its
purport
was
that
after
that
year
Muslims
only
were
to
make
the
pilgrimage,
exception
being
made
for
such
of
the
idolaters
as
had
a
treaty
with
the
Muslims
and
had
never
broken
their
treaty
nor
supported
anyone
against
them.
Such
were
to
enjoy
the
privileges
of
their
treaty
for
the
term
thereof,
but
when
their
treaty
expired
they
would
be
as
other
idolaters.
That
proclamation
marks
the
end
of
idol-worship
in
Arabia
.

The
Year
of
Deputations

The
ninth
year
of
the
Hijrah
is
called
the
Year
of
Deputations,
because
from
all
parts
of
Arabia
deputations
came
to
Al-Madinah
to
swear
allegiance
to
the
Prophet
and
to
hear
the
Qur’an.
The
Prophet
had
become,
in
fact,
the
emperor
of
Arabia
,
but
his
way
of
life
remained
as
simple
as
before.

The
number
of
the
campaigns
which
he
led
in
person
during
the
last
ten
years
of
his
life
is
twenty-seven
in
nine
of
which
there
was
hard
fighting.
The
number
of
the
expeditions
which
he
planned
and
sent
out
under
other
leaders
is
thirty-eight.
He
personally
controlled
every
detail
of
organization,
judged
every
case
and
was
accessible
to
every
suppliant.
In
those
ten
years
he
destroyed
idolatry
in
Arabia;
raised
women
from
the
status
of a
cattle
to
legal
equity
with
men;
effectually
stopped
the
drunkenness
and
immorality
which
had
till
then
disgraced
the
Arabs;
made
men
in
love
with
faith,
sincerity
and
honest
dealing;
transformed
tribes
who
had
been
for
centuries
Content
with
ignorance
into
a
people
with
the
greatest
thirst
for
knowledge;
and
for
the
first
time
in
history
made
universal
human
brotherhood
a
fact
and
principle
of
common
law.
And
his
support
and
guide
in
all
that
work
was
the
Qur’an.

The
Life
of
Prophet
Muhammad

PART
III

The
Final
Days

By Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall

The
Farewell
Pilgrimage

A view of Mt. Arafat on which the Prophet gave his famous sermon

In
the
tenth
year
of
the
Hijrah
the
Prophet
Muhammad
(peace
and
blessings
be
upon
him)
went
to
Makkah
as a
pilgrim
for
the
last
time
–
his
“pilgrimage
of
farewell”
it
is
called
–
when
from
Mt.
‘Arafat
he
preached
to
an
enormous
throng
of
pilgrims.
He
reminded
them
of
all
the
duties
Islam
enjoined
upon
them,
and
that
they
would
one
day
have
to
meet
their
Lord,
who
would
judge
each
one
of
them
according
to
his
work.
At
the
end
of
the
discourse,
he
asked:
“Have
I
not
conveyed
the
Message?”
And
from
that
great
multitude
of
men
who
a
few
months
or
years
before
had
all
been
conscienceless
idolaters
the
shout
went
up:
“O
Allah!
Yes!”
The
Prophet
said:
“O
Allah!
Be
Thou
witness!”

Illness
and
Death
of
the
Prophet

It
was
during
that
last
pilgrimage
that
the
surah
entitled
“Succor”
was
revealed,
which
he
received
as
an
announcement
of
approaching
death.
Soon
after
his
return
to
Al-Madinah
he
fell
ill.
The
tidings
of
his
illness
caused
dismay
throughout
Arabia
and
anguish
to
the
folk
of
Al-Madinah,
Makkah
and
Ta’if,
the
hometowns.
At
early
dawn
on
the
last
day
of
his
earthly
life
he
came
out
from
his
room
beside
the
mosque
at
Al-Madinah
and
joined
the
public
prayer,
which
Abu
Bakr
had
been
leading
since
his
illness.
And
there
was
great
relief
among
the
people,
who
supposed
him
well
again.

“For him who worshipped Muhammad, Muhammad is dead. But as for him who worships Allah, Allah is alive and dieth not.”

When,
later
in
the
day,
the
rumor
grew
that
he
was
dead.
Omar
threatened
those
who
spread
the
rumor
with
dire
punishment,
declaring
it a
crime
to
think
that
the
Messenger
of
God
could
die.
He
was
storming
at
the
people
in
that
strain
when
Abu
Bakr
came
into
the
mosque
and
overheard
him.
Abu
Bakr
went
to
the
chamber
of
his
daughter
Ayeshah,
where
the
Prophet
lay.
Having
ascertained
the
fact,
and
kissed
the
dead-man’s
forehead,
he
went
back
into
the
mosque.
The
people
were
still
listening
to
Omar,
who
was
saying
that
the
rumor
was
a
wicked
lie,
that
the
Prophet
who
was
all
in
all
to
them
could
not
be
dead.
Abu
Bakr
went
up
to
Omar
and
tried
to
stop
him
by a
whispered
word.
Then,
finding
he
would
pay
no
heed,
Abu
Bakr
called
to
the
people,
who,
recognizing
his
voice,
left
Omar
and
came
crowding
round
him.
He
first
gave
praise
to
Allah,
and
then
said:
“O
people!
Lo!
As
for
him
who
worshipped
Muhammad,
Muhammad
is
dead.
But
as
for
him
who
worships
Allah,
Allah
is
Alive
and
dieth
not.”
He
then
recited
the
verse
of
the
Qur’an:

(And
Muhammad
is
but
a
messenger,
messengers
the
like
of
whom
have
passed
away
before
him.
Will
it
be
that,
when
he
dieth
or
is
slain,
ye
will
turn
back
on
your
heels?
He
who
turneth
back
doth
no
hurt
to
Allah,
and
Allah
will
reward
the
thankful.)

The Qur’an has been very carefully preserved

“And,”
says
the
narrator:
an
eye-witness,
“it
was
as
if
the
people
had
not
known
that
such
a
verse
had
been
revealed
till
Abu
Bakr
recited
it.”
And
another
witness
tells
how
Omar
used
to
say:
“Directly
I
heard
Abu
Bakr
recite
that
verse
my
feet
were
cut
from
beneath
me
and
I
fell
to
the
ground,
for
I
knew
that
Allah’s
messenger
was
dead,
May
Allah
bless
and
keep
him!”

All
the
surahs
of
the
Qur’an
had
been
recorded
in
writing
before
the
Prophet’s
death,
and
many
Muslims
had
committed
the
whole
Qur’an
to
memory.
But
the
written
surahs
were
dispersed
among
the
people;
and
when,
in a
battle
which
took
place
during
the
Caliphate
of
Abu
Bakr
–
that
is
to
say,
within
two
years
of
the
Prophet’s
death
– a
large
number
of
those
who
knew
the
whole
Qur’an
by
heart
were
killed,
a
collection
of
the
whole
Qur’an
was
made
and
put
in
writing.
In
the
Caliphate
of
Othman,
all
existing
copies
of
surahs
were
called
in,
and
an
authoritative
version,
based
on
Abu
Bakr’s
collection
and
the
testimony
of
those
who
had
the
whole
Qur’an
by
heart,
was
compiled
exactly
in
the
present
form
and
order,
which
is
regarded
as
traditional
and
as
the
arrangement
of
the
Prophet
himself,
the
Caliph
Othman
and
his
helpers
being
Comrades
of
the
Prophet
and
the
most
devout
students
of
the
Revelation.
The
Qur’an
has
thus
been
very
carefully
preserved.

3- Story of Prophet Mohammed

The Prophet Mohammed was born
sometime between 570-571 A.D. Mohammed was born to the Quraish tribe. His father
Abdulla died before he was born and his mother died sometime around when
he was five years old. Mohammed was adopted by his uncle, Abu
Talib, and it was on a trade journey to Syria that Mohammed came into
contact with Christianity. His uncle arranged a marriage for
Mohammed when he was 25 with Khadija a wealthy widow who was 10-15 years
older than Mohammed.

Mohammed
was a contemplative individual and liked to spend his free time in
isolation pondering the world in a cave called Hira outside of Mecca.
It was while sitting in this cave that Mohammed began his life as a
prophet at the age of forty. While sitting in Hira, Mohammed was
visited by an angel who taught him a verse and made him recite back the
verse. He met with this angel a few more times, he recited more
versus praising Allah, God, and was told by the angel to spread this
message. Mohammed told Khadija his wife about these meetings and
she believed that he was a messenger of Allah and was the first to
believe in Islam. Mohammed�s friend Abubakr, his cousin Ali, and
Mohammed's slave Zaid also believed in what Mohammed was saying and
became followers of Islam.

Mohammed grew bolder in spreading his
message and spoke from the mount of Safa to the people of Mecca
proclaiming that they should give up their old gods for Allah and to
follow the ways of Islam. Over the next ten years Mohammed would
preach whenever he could in Mecca. Mohammed�s message began to
wear on the nerves of the Quarish citizens of Mecca who were polytheists
and rejected Mohammed's idea of monotheism. They began to insult
and ridicule Mohammed and his message, his uncle Abu Lahab would lead
these assaults and claimed that Mohammed was crazy. After the
death of his uncle Abu Talib and his wife Khadija the assaults against
Mohammed grew worse. He left Mecca and went to the city of Taif to
spread the message of Allah. He was only in Taif for a short time
before he was forced to leave for preaching about Allah and had to
return to Mecca. When he returned to Mecca, he was again subject
to assault and things grew worse. Although many people heard
Mohammed�s message and rejected his ideas Mohammed did gain a few
converts in Mecca.

Mohammed�s message upset many and the
persecution of the followers of Islam was so bad that some of his
followers had to leave their homes and go to Habsha seeking the
protection of the Christian king Negus. More and more of
Mohammed�s followers were leaving Mecca for Habsha to escape
persecution. But not all who listened to Mohammed�s message
ridiculed him. In 620 A.D., he was able to win converts among the
tribe of Yathrib, (Madina) and converted many of the Yathrib tribe to
Islam. The Yathrib had heard of Mohammed�s reputation as a man of
wisdom and hoped that he could help settle disputes in Madina, between
themselves, some local Jews, and other groups of people. Mohammed
converted so many members of the Yathrib tribe to Islam that he was able
to form an alliance pact with the Yathrib who promised him protection if
he were to come to live with them in Madina.

Following his pact with the Yathrib tribe
all the followers of Islam save three left Mecca for Madina.
The Mohammed�s followers had left Mecca to escape the ridicule and
oppression that was carried out against them by the non-believers.
Only Mohammed, his cousin Ali, and Mohammed�s friend Abu Bakr stayed
behind in Mecca. Mohammed and Abu Bakr would leave Mecca after
finding out about a Qurish conspiracy to kill Mohamed. With most
of Mohammed�s followers gone, Qurish tribal leaders who harbored
resentment against Mohammed decided to assassinate him. Their plan
was to murder Mohammed in his home at night but Mohammed found out about
the plot and left Mecca before they could carry out their plans.
Abu Bakr and Mohammed were able to escape Mecca and were able to flee to
Madina and were they fell under the protection of the Yathrib tribe.

In Madina Mohammed was no longer
persecuted but was respected by the people and rose to a high position
of power solving disputes between the various locales. As an
arbitrator Mohammed was widely respected by the people of Madina, he
also began to work on his message at this time. He had in Mecca
set the codes of conduct to live by, in Madina he worked on what
relations between followers of Islam should be with one another and with
non-believers. It was also in Madina that Mohammed made Islam more
Arabian. Mohammed believed that some Jews who lived in Madina were
conspiring against him with the Qurish tribe of Mecca, those who had
forced him to leave his home. Mohammed also had problems with the
Hypocrites, Medinese Arabs who falsely proclaimed faith in Islam and
allied themselves with the Jews who opposed Mohammed. Trouble
began between Mohammed, the Hypocrites and the Jews when some of
Mohammed�s people attacked a caravan during a time period that was
traditionally observed as being a time of peace. The Hypocrites
were upset that Mohammed did not observe this traditional cease-fire and
Mohammed was upset with them for being angry at his people who did the
raid out of necessity for survival. Later Mohammed plotted to attack another
caravan just outside of Mecca. The Quarish tribe learned of this
attack and led a large number of attackers against Mohammed�s few
raiders. The battle between Mohammed�s small force and the Quarish
tribe�s overwhelming force is known as the Battle of Badr.
Mohammed�s victory over the Quarish was seen as further proof that
Mohammed was a prophet of God. The Quarish would attack Madina a
year later and would defeat Mohammed�s forces and wound Mohammed, but
withdrew before sacking the city. The Quarish would attack Madina
once more in the following year but this attack would fail because
Mohammed had a large trench around the city dug and the attackers had to
give up the attack after their supplies ran out. This battle was
known as the Battle of the Trench.

After the Battle of the Trench
Mohammed expelled most of the Jewish tribes from the city of
Madina and Mohammed had all six to eight hundred members of the
Qurayza tribe beheaded.
Mohammed was no longer going to be on the defensive he was going
to go on the offensive. Mohammed organized a large force
and was going to march on Mecca, when the Quarish tribe sent out
a representative to negotiate a peace with Mohammed. The
Quarish tribe was able to negotiate a peace settlement with
Mohammed they would no longer persecute followers of Islam and
Mohammed would agree not to march on Mecca. The peace
settlement was reached in 628, and was known as the Treaty of
Hudaibiya. A year later Mohammed assembled again assembled a
large force and marched into Mecca, Abu Sufyan the head of the
Quarish tribe quickly became a muslim and so did a large number
of the Quarish tribe if they wished to survive with Mohammed now
in charge. Mohammed also took all the idols out of the
Kaba and destroyed them, making Islam the only recognized
religion in Mecca. Mohammed who was an outcast of his own
people returned as a prophet of God and died in Medina on June
8, 632. Mohammed�s close friend Abu Bakr, took over the position
as arbitrator that Mohammed had left when he passed away.
Abu Bakr declared Mohammed the last prophet of Allah and made it
clear that any Muslim tribes that broke away to follow any one
else.